It was the day when panic really set in: figures released this morning showed that sales of petrol were up by 172 per cent yesterday as motorists heeded ministers’ advice to top up in case of a strike by tanker drivers....

Panic buying was reported yesterday across the UK, leading to long queues outside some garages and “sold out” or “food only” signs greeting car drivers.

Halfords, the car parts chain, reported “high” sales of fuel cans. Sales of all cans have soared by 225 per cent compared with this time last year, with motorists buying in “the thousands”, while sales of jerry cans are up by more than 500 per cent.